It took the death of a 12-year-old student in Navua for authorities in Navua to focus their attention on the nuisance stray dogs create in towns and cities. The police have now charged the owner of the dog in question for negligence and keeping a dog without licence.
The law requires that owners of dogs pay licence and secure their animal with a leash and well within the control of their compound.
However, the reality is that hundreds of dogs are just let loose and they make early morning walk a frightening affair.
Therefore, the early morning walkers have no option but to carry a stick or some sort of defence mechanism to keep the dogs at bay.
Can the Ministry of Agriculture, which is tasked with issuing dog licences and the city councils who have the task of laying traps to catch stray dogs reach some sort of amicable solution so that one authority does both things?
My deepest condolences to the parents of the child who lost his life as a result of an alleged stray dog attack. May his soul rest in peace.
